It was a bumpy ride for many years but he never lost hope. Today, he has 200 films under his belt and is doing strong character roles in the Hindi film industry. As for the Bhojpuri industry, well, he’s BIG. In fact, it was he who revived the dying Bhojpuri film industry. Ravi Kishan shares his journey with Sagorika Dasgupta
Were you always interested in films?
No, not really. I used to do theatre and would also participate in Ram Leela. Then, one day, I decided to come to Mumbai. I knew it was impossible to just become an actor and films required a lot of guts but I took the plunge anyway. That was in 1990, when Hriday Shetty asked me to get in touch with Imran Khalid, who was making a film called Pitamber. It was my first film and featured Mithun Chakraborty in the lead. I was also the hero in the film but it bombed.
Did that dishearten you?
You know, there is a saying in the film industry that, agar aapne ek baar shooting ka khana kha liya toh aap kabhi doosri jagah nahi jaaoge. And that’s what happened to me. I got a taste of working in the Hindi film industry and it was quite a high. So despite my first film not working, I wanted to learn to act better and so I worked with director KV Raju on his film Udhaar Ki Zindagi with Jeetendra in the lead. This was followed by Zakhmi Dil and Keemat. Both these films featured Akshay Kumar as the leading man. I also worked in Sridevi and in Shah Rukh Khan’s film Army.
So you finally found a foothold in the Hindi film industry?
I wouldn’t say that. In spite of working with big actors, I did not get meaty roles. Neither
was I paid well. I was still struggling. I began to feel insecure and thought that if I started asking producers for more money, they would stop casting me altogether since there were thousands of other young men wanting to act. Even one missed opportunity could cost me dear. So I kept at it. Looking back, I feel that trial by fire moulded me into a better actor. In fact, I think I am the last struggler in the Hindi film industry!
Why is that?
Back in the day, there was no other well-paying platform for a struggling actor. Doordarshan was the only channel on TV, so the roles offered to us were very few. It was a tough fight to get our share of the pie, as far as roles were concerned. Today, there are so many TV channels. An actor can find a lot of work on TV through reality shows, daily soaps and even commercials. TV is big these days.
Is that why you signed up for Bigg Boss?
I was offered Bigg Boss because I had worked on Satish Kaushik’s Tere Naam with Salman Khan, and my performance was appreciated. I guess that’s why I was chosen for the show. TV helped me a lot, and, later, I got to work with Shyamji (Benegal) in Welcome To Sajjanpur and Mani Ratnam sir in Raavan. Now I am also doing a YRF film, Mere Dad Ki Maruti.
You started working in Bhojpuri films fairly late in your career.
Yes, I wanted to act in Hindi films, but Bhojpuri films just happened by chance. As I said earlier, I wasn’t getting plum roles. So, after 12 years in the industry, I was planning to return to my village Jaunpur. That’s when a Bhojpuri film, Saiyyan Hamar, came my way. I was very reluctant to do it at first, since it was ‘downmarket’ at the time. My mother convinced me to do the film, as a favour to my people and my village. I did the film and it was a massive hit. I became a superstar overnight. And my career took a 360-degree turn. Once I started doing more Bhojpuri films, I started getting more offers from Bollywood too. And now I have almost 200 films under my belt. But due to my commitments in the Hindi film industry, I now do only two to four Bhojpuri films a year.
Is that why the Bhojpuri film industry has slowed down?
(Laughs) I don’t think that’s the reason. Earlier, Hindi films would be set abroad like in London, so regional filmmakers cashed in on the more earthy stories. Now our Hindi heroes are coming back to India with masala stories for the masses, robbing regional cinema like Bhojpuri films of their core sensibilities.
So what kind of films will work for the Bhojpuri audience?
I guess Bhojpuri scriptwriters should focus on homegrown stories like the Malayalam and Tamil film industries. We should take some lessons from them. That’s how we can save the industry. But the industry is not really down. Since investments in the Bhojpuri industry are not huge, we are not really impacted.
Is there a difference in the way the two film industries, Hindi and Bhojpuri, function?
Yes, of course. The difference in budgets is huge. While Hindi films are made on a lavish Rs 50-60 crore budgets and even even Rs 100-crore budgets, the budgets of Bhojpuri are Rs 1-3 crore. That’s why sometimes technicians like scriptwriters are poorly paid. Also, the ticket rates for Bhojpuri films are very low and that impacts profits too. There are around 34 crore Biharis and UP-ites all over the world, including 25 crore in India. So there is a huge audience for Bhojpuri films not just in India but also across countries in places like Bangkok, Mauritius, Fiji, Holland and the UAE. The Bhojpuri film market has not been exploited very well.
Is that why one of your Bhojpuri films went to Cannes in 2010?
Yes. But not many are aware of this. My film Jala Debh Duniya Tohra Pyar Mein was showcased at Cannes. I couldn’t attend the festival because the producer didn’t have that money to fly the cast there but it was quite an achievement.
You also dubbed for Spiderman in Bhojpuri.
That was a high in my career. The producers got in touch with me and said they had some work for me. Can you imagine doing Bhojpuri dialogue for Peter Parker! “Hum Makkad manav bol rahe hain…” were my lines when I became the Bhojpuri voice of actor Tobey McGuire. It was absolutely insane. Dubbing for Spiderman was a psycho trip… a real tequila shot! (Laughs)
You have made a name for yourself in the Bhojpuri, Hindi as well as Hollywood film industries. Comment on that journey?
Zindagi aur haalaaton ne mujhe actor banaya hai. Life presented me with various opportunities to portray different roles. After 200 films, I am a hungry man. I know I am no Greek God, so I have to take care of my looks and my image. I have become a fitness freak. I also keep scouting for better roles. I have achieved a little but I have a long way to go. My biggest inspiration is Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan). When he is still at it even at this age, how can I rest on my laurels? I have started getting meatier roles with some very good directors. There is a new crop of filmmakers who are choosing interesting and innovative subjects. So whether it’s my role in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullet Raja or Zila Ghaziabad, I hope I can give the audience a great experience whenever they watch me on screen.
